Sustainable Landscapes & Grounds

Sustainable landscape practices have been used at UAF for a long time. The Georgeson Botanical Garden at the UAF Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station has one of the oldest compost piles in Interior Alaska! UAF Grounds utilizes a combination of methods to minimize pollution, practice wise water use, avoid erosion, reduce waste and implement integrated pest management.

What is UAF doing?

Integrated Pest Management and organic fertilizers are used at the Facilities Services Greenhouse.

UAF banned all pesticide use in greenhouses and limits pesticide use to spot spraying in campus lawn areas.

Native and perennial plants are replacing annuals in flowerbeds.

Solar panels were installed to heat water at the FS greenhouse.

The Georgeson Botanical Garden at UAF is composting all their garden waste.

Natural Resource Conservation Service helped to plan how to control erosion at the GBG.

GBG uses soaker hoses and trickle irrigation systems and mulching.

Green food spaces were created in flowerbeds, the Chancellor’s house and Lola Tily Commons.

Fish and bird waste from our beloved greenhouse pets is used as organic fertilizer.

Food from the commons, grass clippings and paper waste are being composted and applied on flowerbeds.

Facilities Services created a sustainable IPM and fertilizer operations manual for campus greenhouse and flower and vegetable beds.

Excess heat from the power plants is being used to heat the greenhouse.